Unit 3: Properties of clay

DQS20033
3.1 Factor affecting properties of clay

3.2 Chemical composition of clay

3.3 Moisture Content

3.4 Plasticity of Clays

3.5 Particle size of clay

3.6 Impurities in clay

3.7 Rheology of clay-water system

3.8 The Effect of Heat on Clays

3.9 Identification and characterisation of

clay
Unit 3: Properties of clay

3.1 Factor affecting properties of clay

3.2 Chemical composition of clay
3.3: Moisture content
3.1 Factor affecting properties of clay

The factors that control the properties of clay materials or

factors that must be known to characterize clay can be
classified as follows:

Clay mineral composition

Non Clay mineral composition
Organic material content
Particle size
 i. Clay-mineral composition

This refers to the types and amount of all the

clay- mineral components.

Certain clay mineral present in small amount

can have great influence the properties of clay
material such as montmorillonite or smectite.
 ii. Non-clay mineral composition

This refers to the types, amount, and particle size of

different types of materials.

Common non-clay minerals in clay are calcite, dolomite, mica,

pyrite, feldspar, and silica.
 iii. Organic material content

Organic materials can occur in several ways;

such as discrete particles of wood, leaf matter,
spores etc or as organic molecules adsorbed
on the surface of clay mineral particles or
between the clay silicate layers.
A very small amount of organic material can
have a very large coloring or pigmenting effect
in the clay.
 iv. Particle size
▪ Clay with a smaller particle size has a
higher specific surface area and, as a result,
a greater adsorption capacity .
▪ Clay content increased with decreasing
particle size, and clay was primarily
distributed in the particle fraction of < 0.075
mm
▪ Soils with large size particles are stronger
due to the higher inter-particle friction, while
finer soils are more sensitive to water
content.
Chemical composition of clay

Chemical composition is the arrangement,

type, and ratio of atoms in molecules of chemical
substances.
The chemical composition of a substance
determines the intramolecular forces and
properties of the substance.
This means that the way atoms are put together
in something determines the color, density,
strength, texture and other properties of the
thing
Chemical composition of clay

Al2O3, SiO2 – major oxide

K2O, CaO, MgO, Na2O – Fluxing oxide
TiO2, Fe2O3 – Coloring oxide
Chemical composition of clay

Chemical composition effect on:,

✓ Strength
✓ Handling characteristic
✓ Quality of the product
✓ Fired texture
✓ color
 Moisture content

Definition of Moisture content

:the amount of water or moisture removed by oven
drying at 105deg.c to 110 deg.c, as refer to dry mass

Two type of water:

• Water of plasticity
• Chemically combined water
Moisture content

Water of plasticity

The water of plasticity or "free water" is added to the dry clay to

make it plastic and readily evaporates when the clay is left exposed
to the air.

Chemically combined water

• Chemicallycombined water is part of the molecule of kaolinite and is

driven off during firing to 500-700 deg.c and permanently change the
chemical nature of the clay. Al2O3.4SiO2H2O
Moisture content
Two types of method to measure the percentage of
Moisture content;
1) Oven drying method
2) Moisture analyzer

Oven drying method

➢ Weigh the clay , (wet mass)
➢ Dry the clay at 110 deg. C in an oven for 2 hours
➢ Remove the clay from oven and cool to room
temperature
➢ Re-weigh the dried clay (dry mass)
➢ Calculate % moisture content using formula
Moisture content

% Moisture contentformula

Wet mass-Dry mass x 100

Dry mass

➢ Increase in % moisture content results swelling

➢ Reduction in % moisture content results shrinkage